As many of you know, many communities and cities, including Philadelphia, are now looking towards green infrastructure as a cost-effective solution to manage stormwater. However, what some might not know is that these new green spaces can also generate revenue in our neighborhoods and communities.

The NRDC recently released an article presenting published research on how stormwater tools such as rain gardens, green roofs, trees, rain gardens, and permeable pavement can bring about substantial benefits for homeowners, retail businesses, and apartment buildings. Statistics show that apartment and office buildings can reap benefits of up to $2 million. For retail centers, benefits can exceed $24 million, including $23 million of increased sales. Some of the other benefits that the article highlights are reduced infrastructure costs, improved health and job satisfaction for office employees, reduced crime, and lower energy costs.

Read the NRDC’s full report.

Calling all college students for our upcoming design competition! We need creative minds to help us capture Philadelphia’s vision for cleaner waterways and greener neighborhoods! Our new Uncover the Green competition focuses on both new and existing infrastructure. The goal of the competition is to create an eye-catching medallion marker that helps brand Philadelphia’s new green stormwater tools, which soak up rainwater as it runs off of sidewalks and streets throughout the City. But that’s not all! We are challenging our competition participants to delve deeper by producing a second design for new manhole covers! The winning designs for a green tool medallion and accompanying manhole cover will be placed on sidewalks and streets throughout the City for decades! Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to leave your mark on Philadelphia!

Participation in the competition is free and open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Philadelphia based colleges and universities.

Stayed tuned! More information will follow with our official competition launch in January!

This bottled water advertisement was printed in the 1906 edition of Boyd's Co-Partnership and Residence Business Directory of Philadelphia City, a predecessor of the modern phone book.

Before Philadelphia’s filtered water treatment and distribution system was completed in 1909, City water had the potential to carry a variety of water-borne illnesses. Many diseases were caused by the bacteria-laden sewage that was being dumped, with no disinfection or treatment, into the same rivers (the Delaware and Schuylkill) from which the drinking water supply was drawn. The most common of these illnesses, typhoid fever, was especially virulent in 1906, killing more than 1,000 people and sickening perhaps ten times as many.

This spring water company is clearly using this tragic situation to drum up business. Its illustrations, however, are misleading. On the right, any “sewage” in the city water would not be visible, although still deadly. And just because water comes from a spring, and looks clear, as shown on the left, does not mean it is not also contaminated.

Before water filtration, it was not uncommon for the Philadelphia Water Department to recommend (via newspaper articles and other publicity) that any water for cooking or drinking be boiled to kill any disease causing bacteria. Today, the filtered water supply is tested continuously, while bottled waters are not, which is why Philly Water straight from the tap just might be the safest option. At about a penny per gallon, it is certainly the cheapest!